The Mental Load Isn’t Just Yours To Carry

Why Fair Play?

Rates of burnout may be up to 60% higher in female physicians than their male counterparts. Women physicians carry the majority of household duties related to groceries, cooking, cleaning, children's schooling, activities, and doctor's appointments compared to their male colleagues. Juggling childbearing and managing a household along with long work hours, sleepless nights, high patient loads, and emotionally charged patient scenarios is a setup for burnout.

Yeluru H, Newton HL, Kapoor R. Physician Burnout Through the Female Lens: A Silent Crisis. Front Public Health. 2022 May 24;10:880061. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.880061. PMID: 35685758; PMCID: PMC9171323.

“When it comes to balancing a medical career and a family, our findings suggest that women physicians cut their work hours at substantially higher rates than men in an effort to reduce work-family conflict.”

Frank E, Zhao Z, Sen S, Guille C. Gender Disparities in Work and Parental Status Among Early Career Physicians. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(8):e198340. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.8340